Improvement in cotton-gins



H. V,- SCATTERGOOD.

Cotton Gin.

No. 55,542. Patented June 12, 1866.

x mm

Mini; 1 '1 lHL o ,H d u m //v VEN T R UNITED STATES H. V. SOATTERGOOD, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-GINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,542, dated June 12, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY V. SCATTER- GOOD, of the city and county of Albany, and State ofNewYork, have invented an Improved Cotton-Gin and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, the same letters representing the same part in each figure.

Figure 1 is a lateral view of the cylinder I use, showing a segment of the solid surface thereof, with the teeth of the same in their true position and intheir relation to each other.

In Fig. 1, the letters a a (I represent aseginentof the solid surface of the cylinder, or rather of one of the rings of which the cylinder is composed and in which the teeth are fastened. O G G U in Fig. 1 represent the surface of the cylinder at the points of the teeth, and also the relation of the points of each tooth therein to the next preceding tooth, in which it is to be observed that each tooth at its point approaches nearer to its next preceding tooth than at any other part thereof. *5 t z i i in Fig. 1 represent the peculiar shaped spaces bounded by the teeth and the cylinder, by which the improved form and manner of setting the teeth are represented to the eye. at d d in Fig. 1 represent a lateral view of one of the ribs of a cotton-gin in its position and relation to the cylinder and to the teeth as set therein. a; in Fig. 1 represents the relative position of the point and heel of each tooth to the ribs at the instant the point of the tooth passes the rib in the working of the gin.

Fig. 2 is a vertical view of the solid surface of the cylinder a a a and of the teeth of the cylinder 0 O G (l, 850., and of aportion of the ribs of a cotton-gin, which are to be placed between each of the rows of teeth in the cylinder.

The nature of my improvement in cottongins is seen in the peculiar form and structure of the teeth used in constructing the cylinder for the cotton-gin, in the manner of setting the teeth in the cylinder, and in the proper adjustment of the ribs to such cylinder and the teeth thereof, all of which I will proceed to describe and distinguish from former gins in respect to my said improvement.

The peculiar shape of the teeth I use in the construction of my improved gin is suggested by the brier-thorn, and may be denominated the briar-t-horn or sickle-shaped tooth. It may be made of rounded needlepointed wire of any suitable size. bent in the shape somewhat of a sickle or brier-thorn, so that when properly set in the cylinderthe pointoteach tooth approaches nearer its next preceding tooth than at any other part thereof, thereby causing the widening of the space between the teeth proceeding from the point toward the heel thereof. This result is accomplished by the peculiar shape of the teeth and the manner of setting them at aproper angle to the radii of the cylinder.

In the cylinders of cotton-gins heretofore constructed this principle has not been observed; but, on the contrary, the teeth of the cylinderhave usually been farther apart at their points than at any other part of the same.

The advantage of my improved cylinder, as

the fiber and draw it between the ribs ot' the gin, the pointof each tooth approaches so near its next preceding tooth that the seeds of the cotton are notliable to enter between the teeth and clog the cylinder; and, second, should a cotton-seed by any means he forced between the teeth, the increasing width of space as the base of the tooth is approached will permit the seed to pass out, and thus prevent clogging the gin.

In the arrangement of the ribs of a cottongin with respect to the cylinder and the teeth of the same, hitherto care has not been taken that the point of the teeth of the cylinders should pass the ribs in advance of the other portions of the teeth. The consequence has been that in the rapid rotation of the cylinder during the ginning process much of the fiber which was caught by the points of the teeth escaped therefrom before it was drawn through between the ribs. The advantage of my arran gement of the ribs of a cotton-gin in respect to the cylinder and the teeth thereof, as before described, is, that all the fiber of the cotton which is caught by the points of the teeth of the cylinder is drawn through between the ribs, and none of it thus caught is permitted to escape, and the consequence is that a cylinder with teeth constructed after my improvemeat will do much more work in separating the fiber from the seed in the same time than any other cylinder.

I will now proceed to describe the mode of constructing my improvement, so that others skilled in the art of constructing cotton-gins may, from my description, be able to construct and apply the same to cotton-gins, as well also as to cylinders for burring wool, to which my improvement equally applies.

I construct my cylinders of rings, in which are adjusted and fastened the teeth I use in the construction of my improved cylinders for cotton-gins. I construct a mold for casting these rings, and .I. place in a proper position within this mold the base or roots of the teeth, so that when the ring is east the teeth are made fast therein by the cooling of the cast metal composing such rings. A sufiicieut' number of these rings are then fastened together, side by side, to make the cylinder of any desirable length, and made secure by any of the means well known to the art and trade. 'Ihese rings thus secured together form the superior portion of the eylinderthat is, all that portion from the points or tips of the teeth to half an inch or more beneath the roots or base of the same. These rings must be of sufficient thickness to give proper strength to the cylinder and firmness to the setting of the teeth, and of a width corresponding to the distance between the circular rows of teeth in the cylinder. I

In the preparation of treth for my improvement, I prefer to take steel wire of any suitable size to give the necessary strength, pointed somewhat like a needle for sewing, and bent somewhat in the shape of a sickle or brier-thorn, so as to bring the points of the teeth, when set in the cylinder, nearer each to the next preceding teeth, respectively, than to any other part thereof, as seen at O G O in Fig. 1. The teeth, however, may be made of other material than wire. They may be made of spikes properly rounded and bent, or they may be cut from a plate in the manner of making saws, the teeth being properly rounded and shaped, as above described.

I11 the application of ribs to my improved cotton-gin I use any metal ofsuffieient strength, making each rib ofsufficient width and strength to sit between the rows of teeth in the cylinder without being drawn down upon the solid surface thereof. I give to each rib such a shape that after conforming to the surface of the cylinder for about one-sixth of its circumference, the rib is thence deflected at such an angle to radius as that the points of the teeth of the cylinder during its rotation shall pass the rib in advance of any other part of the tooth, as seen at a in Fig. 1, and as before described.

Great care must be taken to round off the corners or angles of the teeth used in the construction of my improved gins, so that the fiber of the cotton be not subject to injury during the process of ginning the same.

Ilavin g thus fully described my improvement in cotton-gins, consisting of my improved cylinder and my improved adjustment of ribs to the same, as above described, what I claim as my own and seek to secure byLetters Patent is as follows:

The cylinder having a surface consisting of rounded needle-pointed teeth, so curved and arranged as that the point of each tooth approaches nearer to its next preceding tooth than at any other point thereof, substantially in the manner and for the purpose above described.

HENRY V. SOA'ITERGOOD.

In presence of- J onL TIFFANY, A. V. DE Wrrr. 

